Blackfeather Woods Aimless Direction

Morgana slipped out of Meldresi's infirmary to the soft light of morning. Though the light was not as much as outside of the pack lands, it was still something. Morgana sighed, and tilted her face up to the sun as the harsh caws of crows greeted to morning light, no matter how meager.

After relieving herself and wolfing down a squirrel, Morgana ignored the tiny bit of nausea in her stomach and ambled along a trail, no direction in mind. It was then she caught the faint scent of  @Burke. Not knowing if he was close or long gone, she let out a tentative chuff. "Burke?" No matter how much she had hated the male a few days ago, she needed someone to talk to, and he was her best bet.

Burke trotted through the dark woods as he brought back Meldresi's pups. He had given them another mentoring lesson on how to hunt for their own. Of course it was mainly watching before he would give them an injured animal to chase after. It had been rather successful day and the pups were fed. Burke had dropped them off at their den of course Meldresi's infirmary was close by. Burke had just past it when he heard someone call out for him. He turned and then trotted back, seeing Morgana. His charcoal and black tipped ears popped up curiously.

"Yes?," he asked. They had their squabble during their spying trip but that was mostly because Burke wanted to do his job and Morgana was thinking about other things. "You are coming from the infirmary. Are you okay?," he frowned. 

Morgana sighed with relief when Burke appeared. At his question, she laughed mirthlessly, and sat. "No. I'm most definitely not. Look, I'm sorry for being a bitch the other day, but I need your help." he always seemed to have logical advice for his pack mates, was calm and level headed. She hadn't told anyone this, had no reason too, didn't want to. Sure, they would find out eventually, but not yet. She wasn't ready. "The thing is...I'm pregnant. And I don't want to be"

Burke licked his lips and then bobbed his head. "Apology accepted and no grudges held. It can happen but then excuse yourself instead of something happening more severe, you know," he spoke wisely. "Well I am your pack mate what is it that I can help you with?" The tank of a male was quite curious what the female wanted of him. He sat down to show that he was intent on listening to her. He didn't want to give her the feeling he was not willing to help. The male's face fell into a frown. What was it with females getting knocked up and not wanting to? That grey female he... liked.. was also pregnant. 

"What is it that you wish for me to do?," he then asked. "I can't really remove them, well I could but that would also cause your own death. Or take Meldresi's herbs. I am sure she will have something," he pointed out. "I'm afraid to ask, because I have a feeling I know who it is, but who is the father? Does he know?"

Morgana shook her head. "No, I can't kill them. I just can't." She drew her claws across the ground in anger, shredding the dirt and stunted plants. "The father was..." in that moment, she came close, so close, to whispering his name. But she couldn't, could she? He would do terrible, terrible things. And he still didn't know. What he would do when he found out...

"-a loner. He attacked me."

Morgana paused, stopping her clawing. She would kill him, tear his limbs from his body....strangely, the thought calmed her. "Burke, please don't tell anyone this. I don't want anyone to know, yet. To tell the truth, I'm...scared"
She hated fear, it was a tool she used, she shouldn't feel it. It was weak.

Burke looked at her. He wasnt' going to judge her form not being able to remove them. It showed him that the female cared at least more than she let on. That was in one way good, but it also showed that she could not kill what she wanted removed. Burke squinted his eyes when she paused when naming the father. She let a.. loner....!? Burke frowned as her story didn't add up. "Morgana someone attacking you is serious business why didn't you come to me straight after it?," he let out. He could have tacked the stranger but now it was a hopeless case. 

Burke slowly shook his head as he faced her. "Of course I won't if you do not wish for me to tell," he promised. "And since you came from Meldresi's infirmary so I can assume she knows, yes?" Burke looked at her with his pale eyes. Burke didn't picture Morgana as a type that would let a loner to take her. "Morgana. I can't stress enough that you should tell me the whole truth. I honestly can't believe that a loner did this to you and you let them. You are much stronger than that. I can't give you my council if you are lying. You can't trust me. I won't tell anyone as shameful as the father's name might be." Burke briefly thought how shocking it would be if the father was Kove or Bane. 

Morgana dipped her head. "It wasn't...it wasn't a loner. Burke, believe me, I'd like to see him dead. But...he threatened me and the pups with death if I ever told." Not that he knew that there were pups, but they were a packaged deal now. Suddenly, she begun to panic. Was she revealing too much? What if he was waiting in the shadows, ready to pounce and ill them both? Things were getting more and more complicated.


What bothered her was that he saw right through her lie. She was normally better then this. At least she wasn't breaking down. She held her bold demeanor even through this. She felt herself open up a bit around him, he had that effect. She wondered if he would one day occupy the Beta position. He would do well in it.

Burke looked at Morgana when she revealed that it was not a loner. Like he thought. He knew her better than that. He nodded and stepped closer to her. He was here for council and advise but it now it seemed Morgana needed more comfort rather than advise what to do. "I think I have the feeling who know who it is. You don't have to tell me his name," he spoke. "We share a mutual dislike. And I will see to it personally that he won't lay a paw on you," Burke assured the pregnant female. There were only two possibilities, Crescendo and Grimnir. But the latter hadn't been seen around. Burke didn't believe Ohen would have done this to Morgana. The only one left was Crescendo. He had been joking about Kove or Bane. Both wouldn't. Crescendo would do this to a female and then threaten them with something he caused. The male should be kicked out of this pack. Burke would never seen him as a brother like he did with Kove and even Bane. 

The large male stepped closer, eyeing at her that she could cry on his shoulder if she needed to. If he wanted to be counselor it meant that he would need to do anything to assure the peace and well being of his pack. It also meant that he could never show his distaste for Crescendo. That the male wasn't even liked by two of his pack mates in a dark pack like this was saying something. "Do you need me to get anything for you?" Ranks put aside Burke would hunt or care for her if she needed him too. Burke was often much kinder to his pack mates, along with him staying calm seemed to be reflected by the others. "You don't want to worry to much, Morgana. It could affect your young badly. If you feel unsafe in your pack you can tell me. I will see what I can do about it."

Twitch had let that wolf go that day, but his encounter (or lack thereof) had not been forgotten. The fierce weasel was simultaneously impatient and patient. He was impatient to be aggravated when things did not immediately go away, he liked instantaneous rewards, but he was patient enough to hold out and wait for his chance at redemption. Or perhaps that was just called holding a grudge. Either way, Twitch launched himself forward as soon as he caught sight of that wolf again.

With complete disregard to the other wolf, who just happened to be leaving (funny how that always happens when Twitch shows up), the weasel swiftly bounded over and without missing a beat pounced on the male's paw and gave it a chomp. He did not allow for any reaction before he sprang away, spun on a heel and fired another raspberry off at the wolf. There, he thought. That oughta get him going.

Burke knew this was all very difficult on the female. He watched her leave after his advise and assurance that he would protect her. Maybe the dark female didn't want his protection but for now he made it known he was there to help and council his pack mate. As he was about to walk away some squirrel ran towards him. Burke was about to ignore it but it seemed to clamp on his paw and then bite into it. Burke snarled in the brief stinging pain. He watched the squirrel face him and then fire another thing at him. Burke's pale eyes didn't look amused. A few drops of blood welling up from his paw. Was it the same rodent as he encountered last time?

Burke squinted his eyes lightly. "What is it you want my attention for, Squirrel?," Burke inquired grumpily. The large brute was clearly annoyed by the little critter and its obsession with him. It wasn't often that a rodent like this would be bothering. Now he thought of it, this never happened. So he was curious what the fella had to say.

Squirrel. There was that word again. Twitch's eyed widened briefly, stunned that yet another wolf dared to call him that, and from the same pack (or so he assumed, they were in the same woods) no less. Clearly, he thought, these wolves were too stupid to know their asses from a hole in a tree. Twitch's surprise turned to rage, and he sucked in a deep breath, holding it as he fumed with eyes narrowed on the enemy. Then he erupted. "I AM NOT A SQUIRREL!" he shrieked, bounding back over, rearing on to his hind legs and wildly pointing a finger at the wolf's nose.

"I. Am. A. WEASEL!" he bellowed. "I am a predator. Like you! Except I am  better than you." He glared at the wolf, his nose twitching as he struggled to contain the rage. "How can you mistake me for a squirrel? You and that Damien devil both need your eyes cleaned." The weasel folded his arms, still glaring at the wolf, still pissed to be called a squirrel. He looked nothing like a squirrel!

Burke wasn't mildly impressed when the rodent started to squeak loudly. It was rather annoying even. Burke watched him come closer and point at his nose. Oh yes, you walnut-sized master brain. Come closer to my jaws, the brute thought. The masked male kept his face expressionless. "Weasel, Squirrel, rodent. I don't see a difference," he casually stated. Burke was gleeful to know that Damien had seen this rodent as a squirrel too. Frankly Burke didn't bother with learning about the smaller creatures that were too difficult to catch in the first place. Too much effort compared to the meat you would get.

The large male then snapped his jaws at the fast creature, no doubt his teeth wouldn't even glance at the critter and its speed. But Burke wanted to scare it away from him. He would not chase the small obstruction, but he would like the other to believe that so he would back off. "You are basically worthless, I hope you know that."

It was official, this wolf was on Twitch's shit list. He was a prime example of why the weasel held a great disdain for larger predators: they were arrogant fools that couldn't see past their own damn noses. Just because they were bigger they thought they were better than all the little guys who they so erroneously threw into the same bucket. How naive the wolves could be.

Twitch ducked out of reflex when the wolf's jaws snapped at him, but he did not flee since the snap had only been a feint and he recognized it as such. The weasel had enough when the wolf spoke again, referring to him as worthless. Without warning, he shot forward, running between the wolf's towering legs. He made to land another bite on a hind paw this time, one more savage, wanting to inflict as much damage as he could with one quick move before darting off again.

Burke knew he should have kept his mouth shut the moment he felt those damn teeth in his hind paw again. He should have just ignored the squirrel/weasel thing. Which was what he was going got do now. The male just walked off without saying so much as a word. He would just ignore the critter to show how irrelevant he was. The bite hurt with the sharp teeth the small weasel had. Burke could handle quite a lot of pain due to what he was used to getting during sparring with another wolf.

The masked male hoped the small rodent, or whatever it was, would die of a heart attack. Weren't their life span shorter because their heart beat faster? Burke thought he heard something about that when his mother explained him as a pup. He obviously hadn't been listening.

Once again the male would not be provoked into chasing him, yet at least for now Twitch was satisfied that he had drawn blood from two of the wolf's paws without suffering so much as a bit of fur loss in the process. So in his little mind, he had won the round, and thus the weasel was content to go about his usual business of finding something to eat while the wolf walked away without so much as a glance back. No doubt the two would meet again, perhaps the next time there was a moment in time that needed closure.